


A Life Flashes By (Caught in the Moment)

by Neva_Borne



Series: Zutara Drabble December [7]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Agni Kai, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Azula - Freeform, Cute, Drabble, F/M, Lightning - Freeform, Maybe - Freeform, Some Fluff, What could be, ZK Drabble December 2020, Zutara, a single moment, slow motion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:40:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27937372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neva_Borne/pseuds/Neva_Borne
Summary: Lightning arcs across the sky, and Zuko's whole world slows down.
Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Zutara Drabble December [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035657
Comments: 1
Kudos: 26
Collections: ZK Drabble December 2020





	A Life Flashes By (Caught in the Moment)

It’s only a few seconds, but it feels like a lifetime.

Azula’s hand moves forward, and suddenly he remembers seeing Katara in the South Pole, scared but with something buried deep within her, the fire that burned so brightly in her now.

The tip of her fingers spark, and he remembers finding her necklace on the prison ship, how he had kept it close to him, even as he slept. He remembers offering it to her in exchange for Aang’s location, remembers her defiance despite how much that necklace means to her. He realizes only now that the necklace had been more than just a symbol of hope for finding Aang.

The lightning begins to take shape, lancing out of her fingers, and he remembers the North Pole, and how impressed he had been at her newfound bending skill, how infuriating it had been to him, how much he respected her as an opponent even then. He remembers how he had woken up, not in the middle of a blizzard, but safe inside the walls of the city, rescued by the very people he had spent the past months chasing down.

He’s running to intercept the lightning now, and he remembers fighting Azula over Aang in that abandoned town, how Aang’s friends had shown up to help him, how Iroh had been hurt and it was Katara who offered to help - help her  _ enemy.  _

His feet leave the ground, and he remembers the eerie green lights of the crystal catacombs in Ba Sing Se, the soft touch of her fingers on his scar, the fluttering in his stomach as he realized that this girl might not be his enemy, might not be so different from him after all.

He’s reaching out his hand for the lightning, and he remembers how Katara had threatened him when he’d finally changed sides and found them at the Western Air Temple, how hurt he’d felt that she hated him, how guilty he felt because he knew it was justified, how much he hated himself for betraying her.

The lightning hits his fingers and sends shocks up his arm, and he remembers how she had faced Yon Rha, and how she had been so strong and brave to face the man who took away everything from her, and how she had turned away from him. He remembers how she broke down in tears, and he just held her for a while until she was ready to face the world again.

The electricity travels down his body to his stomach as he brings his hands together in front of him, and he remembers her arms around him as she forgave him, the smell of her hair and the blueness of her eyes, and that fluttering in his stomach once again.

He’s falling, and the lightning is still raging in his body and he can’t control it anymore, and he remembers the gentle touch on his arm and the soft words of encouragement she had spoken when he had been too afraid to enter his uncle’s tent.

He’s hitting the ground, rolling, the lightning spasming and finally arcing into the sky as his breath leaves him, and all he can picture is her face, how soft her hair is, how the sunlight makes her dark skin glow in the most beautiful way, how her eyes are blue but they burn bright like a firebenders, how she has been at the forefront of his mind for this past year.

His chest is burning, he can hardly breathe, and all he can think is that he hopes she makes it, he hopes he’s done enough. Images flash within his mind - Katara, her hair topped with the Fire Lady crown, Katara holding a tiny baby that had dark skin like she did but bright golden eyes, Katara laughing as they sat together by the turtleduck pond and watched that same child, now a toddler, reach out a pudgy hand towards the turtleducks. Katara, looking at him, eyes bright and blue and glistening with tears, her hands-

The pain that hits him as something glows cool and bright blue against his abdomen makes all the images disappear until finally the pain is gone, and one image remains.

Katara, tears streaming down her face, her blue eyes filled with fear as they race over his body, and then alighting on his face.

“Thank you, Katara.” He manages.

“I think I’m the one who should be thanking you,” she chokes out, and he sits up enough to pull her into a hug.

That wasn’t what he meant, but as she buries her face into his neck and he holds her with one arm, he thinks that maybe she understood anyway.


End file.
